Patent application title: Wastewater Purification System

Abstract:

An object of the present invention is to provide a control method, for a
wastewater purification system, where the status of a wastewater
purification system employing a batch activated sludge process is
accurately understood by analyzing the data waveforms of DO, ORP and pH.
In the control method for a wastewater purification system, an aeration
device is controlled by a programmable sequencer, a controller acquires
respective data waveforms from a first sensor, a second sensor and a
third sensor and the control status data of the programmable sequencer,
the controller analyzes the data waveform of dissolved oxygen
concentration from the first sensor, the data waveform of
oxidation-reduction potential from the second sensor, and the data
waveform of hydrogen ion concentration from the third sensor, and the
controller performs an alarm process when a deviation from a previously
fixed normal state is discovered as a result of the analysis.

Claims:

1. A method for controlling a wastewater purification system for purifying
wastewater by a batch activated sludge process, the wastewater
purification system including a reaction tank containing an aeration
device, a programmable sequencer for controlling the aeration means, a
first sensor for detecting the dissolved oxygen concentration disposed in
said reaction tank, a second sensor for detecting the oxidation-reduction
potential disposed in said reaction tank, a third sensor for detecting
the hydrogen ion concentration disposed in said reaction tank and a
controller, the method comprising the steps of:controlling said aeration
device by said programmable sequencer;acquiring, in said controller,
respective data waveforms from said first sensor, said second sensor and
said third sensor, and control status data of said programmable
sequencer;analyzing, in said controller, said data waveform of dissolved
oxygen concentration from said first sensor, said data waveform of
oxidation-reduction potential from said second sensor, and said data
waveform of hydrogen ion concentration from said third sensor,
andperforming in said controller, an alarm process when a deviation from
a previously fixed normal state is discovered as a result of said
analysis.

2. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein said controller discovers said deviation from the
normal state by comparing said data waveform of dissolved oxygen
concentration, said data waveform of oxidation-reduction potential and
said data waveform of hydrogen ion concentration with previously prepared
reference conditions.

3. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, further comprising a step of recording, in said controller,
said data waveform of dissolved oxygen concentration, said data waveform
of oxidation-reduction potential and said data waveform of hydrogen ion
concentration.

4. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein said alarm process automatically transmits the
occurrence of an abnormality to a remote site over a phone line.

5. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein the program of said programmable sequencer can be
modified.

6. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein the program of said programmable sequencer can be
modified from a remote site.

7. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein said wastewater purification system further includes
a solid matter-removing device, a raw water tank, a raw water storage
tank, a treated water-drawing device, and an extracting and dehydrating
device for excess activated sludge.

8. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein said wastewater purification system further includes
a device for separating the treated water from the activated sludge by
using a microfiltration membrane, an ultrafiltration membrane or a
reverse osmosis membrane, which is disposed in said reaction tank or
separately therefrom.

9. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein said reaction tank has a circular or elliptical plan
shape and a mortar-type cross-sectional shape and has an inclined part
shielded from water by concrete or an asphalt sheet.

10. The method for controlling a wastewater purification system according
to claim 1, wherein the BOD volume load of said reaction tank is from 0.1
to 0.4 kg/m3day.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001]The present invention relates to a control method for a wastewater
purification system employing a batch activated sludge process.

[0003]Also, in a wastewater purification system for purifying livestock
waste-containing wastewater by a batch activated sludge process, when
permanent sensors for DO (dissolved oxygen in water), ORP
(oxidation-reduction potential) and pH (hydrogen ion concentration) are
provided and the data are continuously recorded, there appear sensor data
waveforms having constant patterns according to the difference in the
conditions such as the amount and quality of activated sludge, the inflow
load, the aeration output and aeration time, and the accumulation degree
of ammonia, nitrous acid and nitric acid in the reaction tank.
Conventionally, an automatic control system where a field supervisor
modifies the operating program thereof on the basis of the meaning of
such a waveform or where the aeration is automatically stopped when a
numerical value of a mater relay corresponding to DO or ORP is reached to
a certain numerical value, has been employed.

[0004]However, the meter relay system of controlling aeration only by the
numerical value of DO, ORP or pH has a problem that good control cannot
be satisfactorily obtained.

[0005]The sensor data waveforms may be classified into patterns according
to the above-described various conditions, but the field supervisor is
required to have considerable experience and training to allow
appropriate judgment and if this judgment is incorrect, underaeration,
overaeration or the like results, and a predetermined function cannot be
maintained. Incidentally, when the function cannot be maintained, a
professional engineer is called to the field, but in the case where the
professional engineer is located at a remote site, the response is not
quick in many cases. Furthermore, because no means for automatically
judging the level of adequacy of the aeration control is available,
unnecessary power consumption and failure to satisfactorily fulfill the
function occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006]Under these circumstances, an object of the present invention is to
provide a control method, for a wastewater purification system, where the
status of a wastewater purification system employing a batch activated
sludge process is accurately understood by analyzing the data waveforms
of DO, ORP and pH.

[0007]Another object of the present invention is to provide a control
method for a wastewater purification system, where alert generation, data
transmission, remote monitoring and modification of the operating program
from a remote site can be effected by an automatic data analysis so as to
facilitate the management of correct operations in a timely fashion.

[0008]In order to attain these objects, the method for controlling a
wastewater purification system according to the present invention is that
an aeration device is controlled by a programmable sequencer, a
controller acquires respective data waveforms from a first sensor, a
second sensor and a third sensor and the control status data of the
programmable sequencer, the controller analyzes the data waveform of
dissolved oxygen concentration from the first sensor, the data waveform
of oxidation-reduction potential from the second sensor, and the data
waveform of hydrogen ion concentration from the third sensor, and the
controller performs alarm processing when a deviation from a previously
fixed normal state is discovered as a result of the analysis.

[0009]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the controller preferably discovers a
deviation from the normal state by comparing the data waveform of
dissolved oxygen concentration, the data waveform of oxidation-reduction
potential and the data waveform of hydrogen ion concentration with
previously prepared reference conditions.

[0010]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the controller preferably records the
data waveform of dissolved oxygen concentration, the data waveform of
oxidation-reduction potential and the data waveform of hydrogen ion
concentration.

[0011]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, alarm processing preferably
automatically transmits the occurrence of an abnormality to a remote site
over a phone line.

[0012]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the program of the programmable
sequencer is preferably modifiable.

[0013]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the program of the programmable
sequencer is preferably modifiable from a remote site.

[0014]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the wastewater purification system
preferably includes a solid matter-removing device, a raw water tank, a
raw water storage tank, a treated water-drawing device, and an extracting
and dehydrating device for excess activated sludge.

[0015]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the wastewater purification system
preferably includes a device for separating the treated water from the
activated sludge by using a microfiltration membrane, an ultrafiltration
membrane or a reverse osmosis membrane, which is disposed in the reaction
tank or is separate therefrom.

[0016]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the reaction tank preferably has a
circular or elliptical plan shape and a mortar-type cross-sectional shape
and has an inclined part shielded from water by concrete or an asphalt
sheet.

[0017]In the method for controlling a wastewater purification system
according to the present invention, the BOD volume load of the reaction
tank is preferably from 0.1 to 0.4 kg/m3day.

[0018]According to the present invention, the data waveform information is
automatically analyzed and when the desired waveform does not appear, an
alert is automatically generated and this alert can be automatically sent
to the facility administrator or a professional engineer. Furthermore,
the facility administrator or professional engineer can modify the
operating program even from a remote site, whereby the mechanical
operating conditions such as aeration output and aeration time can be
adjusted and the purification function can be stably maintained while
providing proper aeration and minimum power consumption. Accordingly,
even when the field supervisor is deficient in technical skill or is not
present at the clarification plant, an alert is sent in real time to the
field supervisor and a professional engineer and the operation can be
immediately modified by an optimal operating program even from a remote
site, so that the normal operating function of the purification facility
can be easily maintained.

[0019]In this way, the technical back-up system and a quick response
capacity are remarkably enhanced as compared with the conventional
management of the purification facility and this enables the elevation of
safety and stability and leads to the reduction in the maintenance and
management cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020]FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing one example of the
wastewater clarification plant using a batch activated sludge process.

[0021]FIG. 2 is a view showing the details of the control device 100 shown
in FIG. 1.

[0022]FIG. 3 is a view showing data examples.

[0023]FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the waveform analysis regarding DO.

[0024]FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the waveform analysis regarding ORP.

[0025]FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the waveform analysis regarding pH.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026]The present invention is described in detail below by referring to
FIGS. 1 to 6.

[0027]The batch activated sludge process is first described. The batch
activated sludge process for use in the present invention is a method of
treating the wastewater generated in a hog farm or the like by using one
reaction tank having therein a microorganism-containing activated sludge.
Also, the batch activated sludge process comprises four steps separated
in time, that is, (1) an inflow step, (2) an aeration step (aerobic), (3)
a precipitation step (anaerobic) and (4) an effluence step. According to
this process, the wastewater can be purified without dilution even when
the BOD concentration of the wastewater (raw water) is as high as 10,000
to 50,000 mg/L. Also, those four steps are sequentially repeated in a
reaction tank having a volume giving a BOD volume load of 0.1 to 0.4
kg/m3day so that the reaction tank fulfills denitrification and
dephosphorization functions as well as BOD and COD. Usually, the four
steps are repeated one to three times a day. In the case of performing
these steps once a day, the aeration step and the precipitation step each
is about 12 hours, in the case of twice a day, each is about 6 hours, and
in the case of three times, each is about 4 hours. The inflow step and
the effluence step vary depending on the amount of raw water but each is
approximately from 15 to 30 minutes.

[0028]The inflow step is a step of passing wastewater generated in a hog
farm or the like into a reaction tank. The aeration step is a step of
constantly feeding an appropriate amount of air (oxygen) to the reaction
tank (aeration), culturing an oxygen-loving microorganism with
appropriate agitation, and oxidizing an organic substance by the effect
of the microorganism. The precipitation step is a step of cutting off the
inflow of oxygen into the reaction tank, and precipitating the activated
sludge with denitrification in an anaerobic state. The effluence step is
a step of collecting the supernatant of the reaction tank and discharging
it as a treated water.

[0029]The control of the amount and quality of activated sludge and the
aeration amount, with respect to the inflow load, and the control of the
oxidation of BOD and COD, the oxidation (nitrification) of ammonia and
the reduction (denitrification) of the resulting nitric acid and nitrous
acid, are very important from the standpoint of maintaining the
purification function in the reaction tank. If these controls are
improper, the purification function for BOD, COD, SS and TN is impaired
and a predetermined quality of treated water cannot be maintained. The
control of the activated sludge is performed by a treatment of drawing
excess sludge out of the system, but a constant concentration cannot be
maintained at all times. The control of the inflow load is performed by
disposing a raw water storage tank having a required capacity before the
reaction tank and controlling the inflow into the reaction tank, but
accurate equalization of the amount and quality cannot be attained.

[0030]Accordingly, the primary means of the operational management for a
purification tank is, in the inflow, aeration, precipitation and
effluence steps, to control the appropriate aeration intensity and
aeration time without upsetting the timing based on the fluctuating raw
water conditions and activated sludge amount, and thereby control the
oxidation of BOD and COD, the oxidation (nitrification) of ammonia and
the reduction (denitrification) of the resulting nitric acid and nitrous
acid.

[0031]In this case, the meaning, which is understood from the waveform
information in the sensor data, needs to be correctly evaluated without
delay and fed back to the operating program, however, a lot of skill is
required to make the judgment and create or modify the program and, when
the supervisor is absent, the response is not possible. Thus, in the
automatic control by a meter relay, there is a fear that the response is
unsatisfactory or unstable. In this way, the stable maintenance of the
purification function is often difficult. Furthermore, it is required to
maintain the predetermined purification function with a minimum required
electric power while not unnecessarily consuming electric power.

[0034]The raw water tank 1 is equipment for receiving wastewater from a
wastewater source and transferring the wastewater to the solid-liquid
separator 5 by a raw water pump 11. Depending on the quality of
wastewater, an agitator 10 is preferably disposed.

[0035]The flow rate adjusting tank 2 temporarily pools the wastewater
passed through the solid-liquid separator 5 and, at a time designated by
the operating program, transfers the wastewater to the batch reaction
tank 3 by using a flow regulating pump 14. In the case where much solid
matter is contained in the wastewater passed through the solid-liquid
separator 5, the raw water slurry built up on the bottom of the flow rate
adjusting tank 2 is transferred to the sludge storage tank 6 by a slurry
pump 13.

[0036]The batch reaction tank 3 may have a rectangular parallelepiped
shape but preferably has a mortar-type cross-sectional shape and a
circular or elliptical plan shape. The mortar-type cross-sectional shape
is preferred in view of complete mixing in the batch reaction tank 3,
acceleration of precipitation and consolidation of the sludge, and the
elimination of dead space in aeration. The inclined part of the batch
reaction tank 3 may be shielded from water by a concrete structure or a
sheet of asphalt or the like.

[0037]The reaction tank 3 comprises an underwater mixer 15, a defoaming
pump 16, a pressure blower 17 and an underwater aerator 18 disposed on
the bottom of the batch reaction tank 3, which are used for both aeration
and agitation, a sludge pump 19, a horizontal aerator 20, a water
collecting device 21, a DO sensor 22, an ORP sensor 23 and a pH sensor
24.

[0038]The underwater mixer 15 is equipment for promoting the horizontal
flow or accelerating the anaerobic agitation and is disposed near the
wall of the reaction tank 3 or on the tank bottom.

[0039]The defoaming pump 16 is equipment for drawing in an activated
sludge liquid and jetting it out from nozzles, thereby beating the
bubbles on the water surface. The activated sludge liquid is cyclically
utilized for the defoaming pump 16, because use of fresh water or treated
water gives rise to an elevation in the water level of the reaction tank
and use of fresh water requires a charge for the water.

[0040]The pressure blower 17 feeds air to the underwater aerator 18
through the piping connected thereto and forms a mainly up-down flow in
the reaction tank 3, thereby aerating and agitating the activated sludge
liquid. The aeration/agitation capacity, the number of units and the like
of each of the pressure blower 17 and the underwater aerator 18 are
determined according to the size of the reaction tank 3 and the oxygen
amount required. The pressure blower 17 is controlled by a control device
100 as described later. Incidentally, various methods may be employed for
the aeration and agitation in the reaction tank but, in the case where
the water depth of the reaction tank is from 4 to 8 m, a combination of a
pressure blower 17 and an underwater aerator 18 is effective.
Particularly, in comparison with the case where the water depth is less
than 4 m, when the water depth is from 4 to 8 m, the amount of oxygen
introduced per 1 kwh of the electric power is improved by 60 to 70%.

[0041]The sludge pump 19 is an underwater pump for transferring the excess
sludge to the sludge storage tank 6 and is disposed on the bottom of the
reaction tank 3.

[0042]The horizontal aerator 20 is set afloat on the water surface of the
reaction tank 3 and gives a horizontal flow to the activated sludge
liquid, thereby providing, in combination with an up-down flow by the
pressure blower 17 and the underwater aerator, an effect of completely
mixing the activated sludge liquid in the reaction tank 3 and the inflow
wastewater and enhancing the aerating efficiency. For the horizontal
aerator 20, a float-type waterwheel, a float-type screw ejector, an
ejector and the like may be used.

[0043]The water collecting device 21 is a device for drawing the
supernatant water (treated water), appearing after the activated sludge
is precipitated, and an underwater pump, a siphon, a movable weir and the
like can be used therefor. The water collecting device 21 may also be a
treated-water-drawing device for separating the sludge liquid in the
reaction tank 3, or the sludge liquid transferred to a separately
provided tank, into activated sludge and treated water by using a
microfiltration membrane or an ultrafiltration membrane. The treated
water drawn out is transferred to the treated water tank 4.

[0044]The DO sensor 22, ORP sensor 23 and pH sensor 24 are disposed in the
water within the reaction tank 3 and each transmits a detected value to a
control device 100 described later.

[0045]The treated water tank 4 is a tank for pooling the treated water. In
the case of treatment by a batch activated sludge process, the treated
water is drawn in bulk at certain time intervals and therefore, this
equipment is necessary particularly when the water channel of the
discharge destination cannot receive a sufficiently large flow volume.
Also, when the level of the discharge regulation value for BOD, COD, SS
and TP is high, an advanced treatment, for example, by a reverse osmosis
membrane, a coagulation treatment, an activated carbon treatment or an
ozone oxidation may be required in the latter stage of the activated
sludge process. Such an advanced treatment is advantageously performed
not by a batch process but by a continuous process and in this case, the
treated water tank 4 serves as a conditioning tank for the advanced
treatment. The treated water tank 4 discharges the treated water through
a treated water pump 25. The treated water pump 25 may also be a drain
pipe from a siphon or the tank bottom.

[0046]The solid-liquid separator 5 comprises a screen for removing
miscellaneous trash 30 contained in the wastewater from the raw water
tank 1. A screen with appropriate weave and scale spacing is selected
according to the properties of the wastewater. The wastewater passed
through the solid-liquid separator 5 is transferred to the flow rate
adjusting tank 2. The miscellaneous trash 30 may also be recycled as
compost.

[0047]The sludge storage tank 6 is equipment for storing the raw water
slurry drawn from the flow rate adjusting tank 2 and the excess sludge
drawn from the reaction tank 3 and supplies the sludge to the dehydrator
7 by a sludge supply pump 28. In order to supply homogeneous sludge to
the dehydrator 7, a sludge agitator 26 is preferably used.

[0048]The dehydrator 7 is equipment for dehydrating the sludge supplied
from the sludge storage tank 6 and separating it into supernatant water
and dehydrated cake 31. The dehydrator 7 comprises, for example, a screw
press, a belt press, a polydisc, a centrifugal separator or a filter
press and utilizes a coagulant, and these are selected according to the
property and state of the sludge, the desired water content of the
dehydrated cake, or the like. The supernatant liquid is returned to the
flow rate adjusting tank 2 or the reaction tank 3 but, when the object of
dehydration is only excess sludge, after separating the solid matter by
guiding the supernatant liquid to the precipitation tank (not shown), the
filtrate may be discharged.

[0049]In each of the raw water tank 1, the flow rate adjusting tank 2, the
batch reaction tank 3, the treated water tank 4 and the sludge storage
tank 6, a water level relay is preferably provided so as to detect the
water level of each tank. Also, as for the treated water quality, when an
advanced treatment such as BOD, SS, COD, TP and chromaticity, or the
destruction of bacteria, protozoa and the like is required, the
wastewater purification plant shown in FIG. 1 preferably comprises an
additional facility such as coagulation precipitation process, sand
filtration, activated carbon treatment, ozone oxidation process,
microfiltration membrane, ultrafiltration membrane or reverse osmosis
membrane, or an additional facility comprising a combination thereof.

[0050]FIG. 2 shows the details of the control device 100 shown in FIG. 1.

[0051]As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 100 comprises, for example,
CPU 101, A/D converters 102, 103 and 104 for converting the detection
signals from the DO sensor 22, the ORP sensor 23 and the pH sensor 24
into digital data, a programmable sequencer 105, a recording part 106 for
recording various sensor outputs on a recording paper sheet and/or
displaying these on a display, a first inverter 107, a second inverter
108, and a transmitting and receiving part 109 for exchanging the data
with another system 200.

[0052]The programmable sequencer 105 causes the first and second inverters
107 and 108 (electric power boards) and various drivers shown in FIG. 1
to work in the predetermined timing based on the previously set commands,
whereby the above-described four steps of the batch activated sludge
process are endlessly repeated. Incidentally, the first inverter 107 and
the second inverter 108 control the pressure blower 17 and the underwater
aerator 18, respectively. The programmable sequencer 105 may be a
commercially available general-purpose product or a product dedicated to
this system. Accordingly, the progress in the step at that point can be
evaluated by the control status data of the programmable sequencer 105.

[0053]The CPU 101 constantly receives the control status of the
programmable sequencer 105 and the detected data waveforms from the DO
sensor 22, ORP sensor 23 and pH sensor 24 and, while performing the
recording operation of the output by the recording part 107, analyzes the
detected data waveform so that, at the occurrence of a problem, an alert
can be generated and sent to another system 200 through the transmitting
and receiving part 108. Here, W.A.R.P (weight associative rule processor)
manufactured by SGS-THOMSON is used as the CPU 101 for the waveform
analysis, but another appropriate processor may also be used. The details
of the waveform analysis are described later.

[0054]The other system 200 is usually disposed at a remote site where a
supervisor or a professional engineer is stationed, and is connected to
the CPU 101 and the programmable sequencer 105 through the transmitting
and receiving part 108 so that, when an alert is generated as a result of
the waveform analysis, an appropriate care can be exercised. For example,
when the waveform analysis reveals that the batch activated sludge
process is not appropriately functioning, the program of the programmable
sequencer 105 is modified through the transmitting and receiving part 108
and the CPU 101, and the control of the wastewater purification plant
shown in FIG. 1 is modified so as to more properly perform the treatment.
Incidentally, it is also possible for a supervisor or a professional
engineer to adjust the programmable sequencer 105 directly in the field.

[0055]The waveform analysis performed in the CPU 101 is described below.

[0056]The waveform analysis is performed, for example, by CPU 101 while
utilizing predetermined ROM, RAM and the like according to the program
previously stored in a given memory.

[0057]FIG. 3 shows data examples created by using the control status
received from the programmable sequencer 105 and the data waveforms from
various sensors 22 to 24. In FIG. 3, the abscissa indicates the time, and
the ordinates indicate DO (PPM), ORP (mv) and pH, respectively.

[0058]In the Figure, A denotes the time where the transfer of the raw
water (wastewater) to the reaction tank 3 from the flow rate adjusting
tank 2 is started and, at the same time, the aeration step by a pressure
blower 17, an underwater aerator 18 and the like is initiated. In the
Figure, C denotes the previously fixed time where the aeration step is
terminated and the precipitation step is initiated, and E denotes the
time where the precipitation step is terminated and the discharge of the
treated water is started. Also, in the Figure, B denotes the time where
70% of the aeration step has passed from the initiation of the aeration
step, and D denotes the time where 105% of the aeration step has passed
from the initiation of the aeration step.

[0059]Furthermore, in the Figure, F denotes the DO value sensed by the DO
sensor 22, G denotes the ORP value sensed by the ORP sensor 23, and H
denotes the pH value sensed by the pH sensor 24.

[0060]The CPU 101 is programmed to check these data waveforms with the
previously determined data waveform conditions and when an undesired
waveform appears, generate an alert.

[0061]The waveform analysis regarding the DO value sensed by the DO sensor
22 is described by referring to FIG. 4. As for the data waveform F of the
DO value, when the DO value rises after the passing of 70% of the
aeration step from the initiation of aeration (see, P in the Figure) and
the DO value again returns to "0" before the passing of 105% of the
aeration step from the initiation of aeration (see, Q in the Figure), the
DO value is judged as normal.

[0062]This is because a best purification function is exerted in the case
where the DO value starts rising from the time close to the termination
of the aeration step (after the passing of 70% of the aeration step from
the initiation of aeration) and the DO value acutely returns to 0
immediately after the termination of the aeration step (before the
passing of 105% of the aeration step from the initiation of aeration).

[0063]Since the oxygen charged (oxygen fed by a pressure blower 17 or the
like) is 100% consumed until BOD/NH4--N is sufficiently oxidized,
the DO value is 0. Accordingly, the DO value indicates the excess oxygen.
However, no rise in the DO value indicates that oxidation is not
completed. Also, when the aeration is stopped, the remaining oxygen is
consumed by the respiration of the activated sludge and therefore, the DO
value becomes 0. That is, despite a wish to confirm that the DO value
once rises for sufficient oxidation, it is unprofitable to feed too much
excess oxygen. In this way, the purification function is best exerted
when the DO value starts rising from the time close to the termination of
the aeration step and the DO value acutely returns to 0 immediately after
the completion of the aeration step.

[0064]The waveform analysis regarding the ORP value sensed by the ORP
sensor 23 is described by referring to FIG. 5. As for the data waveform G
of the ORP value, when between the initiation of aeration and the stop of
aeration, the plus side first has a portion of +50 mv or more and the
minus side thereafter has a portion of -100 mv or less, the data waveform
of the ORP sensor is judged as normal.

[0065]This is because an ORP value of +50 mv or more indicates that the
oxidation of BOD/NH4--N is sufficiently effected, whereas an ORP
value of -100 mv or less indicates that the reduction of NO2 and
NO3--N is sufficiently effected and denitrification is fulfilled.

[0066]The waveform analysis regarding the pH value sensed by the pH sensor
24 is described by referring to FIG. 6. As for the waveform data H of the
pH value, when the pH value is from 6.5 to 7.8 in all steps, the data
waveform of the pH sensor is judged as normal.

[0067]This is because a pH value of more than 7.8 indicates that the
oxidation of NH4--N is insufficient, whereas a pH value of less than
6.5 indicates that the reduction of NO2 and NO3--N is not
sufficiently effected.

[0068]The CPU 101 is programmed to perform an alarm process, such as
outputting of various signals, when the number of occurrences where any
one of the data waveforms from the DO, ORP and pH sensors deviates from
the normal according to the conditions shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is 3 or more
a week. The number of occurrences (3 occurrences/week) of deviation from
the normal is one example, and an appropriate value can be selected
according to the scale or type of the system or wastewater purification
plant.